The Darkest Temptation
by ShadowKissedAnna
Summary: Torin and Cameo's story. A strange woman and her kin make their appearance. What changes? For whom?
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:** One cold, rainy night a woman is found passed out in the fields around the fortress. Her beauty is divine and her powers unknown. They are coming for her, but are they friends or enemies? Maybe both. Now the Lords of the Underworld are bound to face the consequences. Looks like trouble is their theme song. Or... Can that woman help them?

**Place**: Budapest

**Main Characters:** Torin Lord, keeper of the Demon High Lord of Disease and Cameo Lord, keeper of the Demon High Lord of Misery

**Custom Characters:** Leilah the Demon Tamer, Sybilla the Prophetess, Cynthia the Alchemist, as well as the rest of The Elite Guard. Also, the warriors Tariq, Eamen...

**Time**: Set after The Darkest Surrender

*****I don't own anything except for the plot and my custom characters. Everything else belongs to the awesome Gina Showalter*****

_ Even though I wish I had Torin... *sigh*... Black Plague or not..._

**Announcement**: I haven't read The darkest seduction yet. So, if anybody could enlighten me about some events mostly about Torin or Cameo, I would build them a shrine or something. I beg of you.

Even though I read that Torin and Cameo aren't going to end up together, I remain a great fan of the pair, so I couldn't resist.

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><p>3-22-12: <strong>Attention please<strong>. I've finally gotten my hands (well, and eyes) on The Darkest Seduction since when I posted this, so let's say we somehow magically transport to:

**Time**: Set after the Darkest Seduction

**Place**: The realm of Blood and Shadow, since the Lords have moved there.

Okay okay. I'm out. **Review** and let me know what you think.

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><p>"<strong>So beautiful a thing<strong> seems immoral being bait" Cameo noted with a hum. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and Torin had to confess she was beautiful even if she didn't realize it. He made a mental note to fix that in the near future. He turned his gaze at the body Strider had lifted against his chest, and swallowed back a gasp.

It was just him, Strider, Cameo and Kaia in the fortress. He spotted movement outside, and Defeat had gone to check on it along with Cameo. "She was unconscious when we found her" Strider said. "I might not like having to chain so beautiful a thing, like darling Cameo rightly put it" there was the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice "but I will"

"Is there anything else out there? We didn't catch movement" Cameo asked, the question towards Torin this time. He shook his head.

Indeed, the girl was beautiful. In fact she probably was too beautiful; so much that is should be forbidden. Her skin was the purest white, her cheeks the slightest pink. Her hair fell down in a tangled mess of white-blonde, but that only added in the innocence of her appearance.

Damned hunters. This was probably the reason they had chosen to send her; because really, who would harm such a creature? She was even clad in a light-blue dress, reminding Torin of the hymens so famous in ancient Greece. Only it was made of light blue silk and matching lace, and had a slit that rode the length of her thigh. Around her waist lay a leather belt, with hooks and weapons: throwing stars, a dagger, a wipe…

"Heavens" he muttered, driving a hand through his hair. "I'll keep an eye 'till she wakes up"

"You do that" he heard Strider's response, but he had already turned to head back in his room, Cameo close behind him. Dangerously close if you ask him. But then again, she was the only one he had allowed that close, hell even closer, through the years.

It wasn't like the risk was even less, or that he didn't care about her; opposite. He cared deeply for her. That was why he wouldn't be able to send her on her way. Okay, maybe he was fooling himself. He was too selfish, too desperate for what was going on with her once his door was locked.

He was only too afraid of the moment his control would slip and he would give into those urges… Oh, the urge to grab her, pull her close to his burning flesh and never let go, to taste the sweet junction between her legs…

He plopped down on his desk chair, as she closed and locked the door. Once she turned around he noticed she was biting down hard on her bottom lip. There might even be the slightest hint of blood. What was this about?

"Cameo?" he asked with concern. How he wanted to stride to her and pull her in his arms, comfort her, tell her that everything was going to be okay; needed to. He knew she was crying at night, alone, in her room. He had gotten a glimpse of her eyes red and puffy in the morning.

She wasn't weak, if anything. She was a warrior to the core, strong and powerful, but a living being and a woman no less. Everyone had weaknesses, and Torin knew that perfectly well. And above all these, Misery was tormenting her at every minute of her every day.

_Infect…_

Ugh. Talk about tormenting. _No, I thought we had that cleared_.

Disease always reacted like that around Cameo, probably because he felt how eager Torin was, and how helpless against her. But he wasn't going to surrender to the stupid bastard of a demon.

Still there was no talking, no movement from her; only more chewing.

"Cam, talk to me. You know you can tell me everything. Is it Misery again?"

"Well, it's always her. Though, no. I dunno… that girl…" oh, Gods. So that was what this was about? Heavens help him, Torin had very little experience with women; nonexistent even.

"Your beauty-

"Yeah, right. I'm neither a fool nor blind…"

"Apparently you are a fool" he stared at her slightly amused. She stared back outrageously. "Just walk in the bathroom and take a look at the mirror. Undress if you have to"

**Cameo, keeper of Misery****,** could hardly believe he had just said that. How could he? They had just seen a living being probably more beautiful than Aphrodite herself, Goddess of Love.

She had never, not once, felt self-conscious of her appearance. And much more when it came down to Torin. He had seen her stripped down to nothing, lain on his bed, with the most intimate parts of her body exposed to him. Here in this very room she had moved her own hands all over her burning flesh, trying to relieve the ache his burning gaze left on her.

How she wished it had been his hands caressing her, his tongue sucking on her and his body clinging to hers.

_It can never happen, and you know it. _

Misery. How she hated the she-demon at times like these.

"She just looks so pure and delicate that…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She hated herself even more that she was indeed voicing those fears. She kept fighting so hard to stand her ground next to all the other male warriors over the years that now felt like losing ground.

No. Not with Torin. She couldn't stand it with him. More than anyone it was him she needed to respect her, to see her strength. Vulnerability was not an option.

"See?" he asked, more like stated. There was that glimmer in his emerald eyes again that sought 'fuck me'. Well, at least to her. "You said it yourself. She looks fragile while you, Cameo, are solid and strong. Please, don't ever doubt yourself. Promise me"

By the time he finished, his chest was heaving and his hands clenched to fists. Really, she had the same urge to stride where he sat and place her knees on either side of his hips, her sex rubbing against his erection, its head straining past the waistband of his pants.

She nodded, not really capable of anything else. "Enough with talking" she managed out in a chocked whisper. Her fingers curled around the edge of her shirt and she lifted it over her head and off. Her own breathing was hard by now.

"That's my girl" he muttered a little breathless and gulped hard resting his gaze on her chest. She knew he was trying to mask the reactions their encounters brought out of him, and he probably was doing a good job, but she could see under that mask; right through him.

She wanted to believe it wasn't just because of Misery's ability to find out about everyone's weakness right away, with only eye-contact needed. She wanted to believe that it was because _she_ could read _him_.

And at the same time she wished that he wouldn't be able to see how much effect he had on her, how eager she was for what took place here just as he was, or how he had begun to grow in her. Because yes, she realized with dread, he had grown to mean so much more to her during the past months than a friend –with benefits, if that's so- should.

Gods, why did everything have to be so complicated?

She noticed his gaze was intensely focused on her. She angled her body and bent down to unbuckle her boots, her hair falling all over her face, giving him a nice view of her backside. First boot she tossed at him, hitting him straight on his chest. "I don't see you undressing" she said, her voice husky. She straightened, tossing the other boot on the floor and flipping her dark mass of hair over one shoulder. She hooked her fingers at the waist of her jeans.

"I could be" he said lifting a dark eyebrow and tossing her words right back at her. Smart-ass. She smirked, unfastening her jeans and pulling them down. One by one she discarded the knives from her thighs and threw them on the floor. Not once did he tear his gaze away from her.

"Now, be a good boy and I might just let you keep the panties" that was if you could call them that, of course. It was scraps of lace that left a little less than half of the ass to the partner's imagination. Okay, to be fair it was a fine set, and the bra even complemented her small breasts. It fit her body perfectly, and strangely enough he knew. He had been the one to buy it.

He groaned and his eyes sparkled at her offer.

He did as he was said. His shirt was off in an instant, as well as his gloves. Despite all his centuries away from the battlefield and the years in front of a heck of monitors his figure would never cease to take her breath away. She only wished she could brush her fingers over the tight muscles of his arms and stomach as well as his tattoo stretching out on his abs. Ugh…

She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. It slid down her shoulders to land on the floor. His gaze didn't follow the way down. Instead, it locked on her exposed breasts. She silently wished they were fuller.

He discarded his pants and a gasp left her lips, gaze locking on his erection. If only she could take him in her mouth, give him pleasure he had never experienced before… She cupped her own breasts. "Tell me everything you want to do to me" she let out breathlessly.

And he did, oh, didn't he?

Her hands rubbed her breasts. Her nails pinched her nipples. In her fantasies, her hands were replaced by his hands working her on, his teeth scraping her skin, biting her beaded nipples. It went on until she nearly couldn't take it any longer. He demanded for her to lie back on the bed and she found herself unable to care that he was indeed ordering her around. It turned her on even farther. She let her panties slip on the floor and only for that moment she registered his feverish gaze. Gods. The emotion in there was nearly too much to take.

She complied, feeling the cold covers against the heated skin of her back. Her fingers traveled further down her body, parting her folds, finding the juncture of her ache. She was dripping wet at the moment, and her fingers slipped inside easily. She moaned and closed her eyes unable to take in the look on his face. It was almost pained, and Misery kicked in. She always did at moments like these.

Cameo knew very well the urges he had to walk up to her and make all the things he said reality. She knew he wanted to taste her everywhere, to nip her lips until they were swollen and bleeding… to trace his tongue where she needed him the most until she came… to pin her down and take her hard until she screamed.

…Because she wanted the same things.

But that perfection would never be theirs. She wanted to punch Misery right in the face even though that thought hadn't been pushed in her mind by the demon. It had been hers and only hers, as she continued pumping her fingers in her core.

A single tear made its way down her cheek but she didn't bother to wipe it away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Both Torin and Cameo were** making attempts to catch their breaths. He opened his eyes to take in once again the sight of her splayed across his bed completely naked. Her skin was still flushed, her hair were everywhere around her and a thin layer of sweat covered her slightly tanned skin.

He pulled on his pants and he had just zipped them when he noticed the woman in the dungeon had woken up. She had opened her eyes but laid still. She didn't scream, didn't cry, and didn't fight for release. Torin cocked an eyebrow.

He pulled on his shirt too and started working on his gloves, shielding every inch of exposed skin. "Take a look at this" he gestured to Cameo, who had started getting dressed too. She looked up from buckling her boots and walked closer while smoothing her hair out with her fingers. Gods she was beautiful, he thought.

"Interesting enough" she noted. "Gonna check it out". She bent to grab something from the floor, and went for the door. She opened it but didn't exit. "Oh, and Torin…?"

He turned around and something landed on his lap. She smirked, blew him a kiss and was gone the next instant. He looked down and- oh, Heavens… He took the lacy garment in his hand and brought it closer to his face taking a rich breath. The scent was all Cameo and Torin closed his eyes in delirium.

**Cameo walked down the hallways** of the fortress and towards the dungeon. Strider noticed where she was heading and followed suit. "Any change?"

"She is quiet and unmoving"

"Oh, come on. That's no fun!" he complained. And she could empathize. She had an urge of her own to beat something –or someone- down.

She didn't voice her agreement, but rather nodded her head, instantly wondering if Strider was even looking at her. Throwing a glance over her shoulder she found out that he was indeed looking at her. Huh, guess the back didn't count, did it?

"I handle this. You go find Kaia" she told him, knowing full well Defeat would throw a feast for a little challenge.

He pressed his lips in a thin line but didn't budge. Didn't stop following her either.

Shaking her head, Cameo unlocked the cell and walked in, Strider close to her heels. She knew Torin as watching too.

"And by the Gods, Somebody, at last" the woman smiled a smug smile, despite the chains around her wrists.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Cameo demanded looking at her dead in the eye. The blonde stared back at her, a little confused. Then she shook her head around, in a lost fight of throwing her platinum hair away from her face.

"Your voice…" she whispered, almost sympathetically. Then, her gaze held something that Cameo couldn't decipher... maybe she was calculating her moves to escape. Maybe she was just too taken away by Misery's effect on Cameo's voice.

"We can do this either the easy or the hard way, so answer me" Cameo demanded again. She held her expression composed, despite the woman's words.

"Fairly, I am called Leilah. Leilah the Tamer, if you will. Verily, I am a warrior like thee and I have come to thy home to request thine aid"

"In what" Strider pondered, holding a knife in one hand and slapping the flat of the blade on his other palm.

"That I shall not reveal until necessary" This made Cameo wonder if this Leilah had lost it. Come on. She was being held in a dungeon, her wrists tied over her head, kneeled on the ground and she was making a play?

Misery jumped and demanded a go at the female. Reaching out her mental touch the demon searched for any king of emotion, any tinny weakness to use- the she-demon recoiled. There was no hint of emotion, no… anything...

In the meantime, Strider had jumped forward, kneeled on the floor and held the tip of the blade against the woman's neck.

"I have naught to lose, warrior, shall you press that blade further" the prisoner stated in a flat and blank voice.

"How can we trust you?" Cameo asked.

"If you would release my hands, I would take an oath, here, in front of you"

"And how do we know you won't pull any shit and try to get away?" Strider.

"You can't" she answered simply. Then, as Strider and Cameo exchanged glances she added "or are you afraid you won't be able to take me?"

Oh, damn them all to hell. Clear, unmistakable challenge. Cameo had lived with the keeper of Defeat for too long to be able to tell. Unleashing a throaty growl, Strider freed the woman's wrists and she had been at least waiting for a smug smirk. Only the woman brought her fist over her heart and took a vow.

"I, Leilah the Tamer shall not bring any harm upon thine home. There. Satisfied?"

Which made Cameo wonder… Where was the catch?

"**Did she-" **he was abruptly cut off**. **

"No" the keeper of Defeat snapped. "And let me assure you, that Defeat is throwing a feast to have a go at her."

"We've got to make her talk" Torin said.

"Really" Strider snapped. "Don't tell me."

Uh. And currently the woman was getting settled to her room, both Kaia and Cameo close at her heels. Gods only knew, the Harpy was fascinated by her, but Torin had seen the look in Cameo's eyes. She thought something was wrong, and was probably working on finding out what exactly.

And Lucien hadn't been really happy with the new arrangements. They had to take chances though, if they stood any chance at using this woman for their benefit.

The door to the entertainment room opened and closed again, a very troubled Cameo leaning against it. She crossed her arms over her chest and brought one hand up to rub the bridge of her nose. He took a moment to study her –indeed, clothed- profile.

_Infect_…

No.

_I need to touch her… _

How about you just shut the fuck up? The bastard was trying to lure him into the feminine temptation in front of him, and tempting it was, but he knew better than to give into his demon's provocations.

_Just a single touch and she's ours… _

As tempting as it was.

_Forever_…

Ugh.

"Well?" Strider demanded, and her head snapped towards their direction. Those bottomless silver eyes of hers stabbed him straight through the heart of his and in contrast to the other warriors in the fortress, he enjoyed the pain. A pain even Reyes, the keeper of Pain himself, wouldn't withstand.

"She's solid as a rock. Hell, you saw for yourself what her reply was with a knife at her throat, Strider." Strider flinched and Torin almost glared at him. He knew it hurt her each and every time somebody did that, even though she wouldn't admit it.

"There must be something we can trigger. Everybody had an Achilles' heel" Torin pondered, instead.

"You didn't feel what I did when Misery reached out to her" Cameo shook her head.

"What would that be?" Now he was curious, alright.

"Nothing, Torin. I felt… nothing. Believe it or not, she's hollow on the inside. So…" She paused. "Empty" she finished on a raspy breath.

"Damn…" he muttered, doing some arm-crossing of his own after he swept one gloved hand through his hair.

"Uh-huh. That pretty much sums it up." With that she sighed and went back to silent mode, only retreating from her position against the door and collapsing on the couch. She perked one elbow on the couch's back and rested her forehead against her fingers, which made him wonder if Misery was on it again.

A breeze rushed through the room, and then switched to warm before going back to ass-freezing cold. He could have sworn the world was spinning and colors were blasting everywhere in a random pattern. A quick glance at the others confirmed that indeed he wasn't hallucinating.

But even he doubted himself as a thick mist of black smoke appeared in the center of the room. And as if in one of those creepy movies, as the mist started to dissolve the slender frame of a woman replaced it.

And Torin was left gaping at the green haired woman that took form. Her deep green hair fell straight as a pin to her hips and her milky white skin illuminated the moonlight that fell upon her from the open window. As her snake-like golden gaze turned to him, he found himself immobilized.

_Shit_… Disease thought.

Damn straight, buddy.


	3. Chapter 3

The Darkest Temptation

Chapter 3rd

Ookaay. Since I've finally, BLESSEDLY read The Darkest Seduction, thanks to a wicked friend of mine (aaaand I don't even have to make that shrine 'cause now we're even *twisted grin*), let's say we're gonna pretend that somehow, magically, we have been transported to The Realm of Blood and Shadow instead of the Fortress in Budapest.

Come on, guys... review... pretty please.

And yes, that goes for you too, Marilia, Emily-Mary the Strange.

*Don't own anything except for my custom characters*

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><p><strong>Once the world settled <strong>and stopped spinning around her, Cameo rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and stared. Just stared. And apparently she wasn't the only one doing so. One glance at Torin and sure as fuck he was awestruck in front of that woman. Okay, Strider too, but, well… Strider just wasn't Torin.

Maybe that was the point.

Okay, Cameo stared too. True. But, come on. A green manned female had just made a grand entrance from out of nowhere in the center of their entertainment room. She turned that green head of hers to glance at them too, degluing her eyes from Torin –not that Cameo had started seeing red, not at all- and- holly crap.

Were those the eyes of a _snake_? Literally.

"Evening, warriors" the woman said boldly, in a low and sultry tone.

"Who the hell are you?" well, apparently Strider had been the first to kick into motion.

"None of your concern, Strider, keeper of Defeat." Okay, this was officially a snap, but how she had managed to make it sound so gentle and easy it was beyond Cameo and she slipped one hand at the small of her back and laced her fingers around the handle of the gun she always carried with her.

"Sister mine" Leilah's voice from the doorway made Cameo's plans of pulling that trigger recoil. She turned her head towards the snow-white female still without losing visual contact with Ms. Green. "Your visit I admit to have been expected, not. Forgive my naivety"

"That's bull shit, and you and I both know it" Green snapped.

"Only you, Sybilla could ever address me like that" Leilah said, calmer than her words sounded, while shaking her head in disbelief. Green bent her knees, taking a slight bow.

"Enough with shit. Who else is to come knocking on our door tonight?"

"My… my… Forgive me. I believe I haven't introduced myself properly yet, have I?" She bent her knees again, this time in a full curtsy, her hands taking hold of her skirts delicately. Did Misery just whimper? Yes, she did. "Verily, Sybilla the Prophetess is what I honor myself to be called."

"And to what do we owe the honors of your little… 'visit'" Cameo forced herself to de-freeze and speak. If the female caught the irony in her voice or not, she didn't show it; her face a blank mask of serenity.

"I have a reason" Green, Sybilla, answered.

"And what" Torin cleared his throat and retried "What would that be?" Smooth, Torin. Very smooth.

"Everything shall clear out" Sybilla answered.

"A real answer would be appreciated, you know" Strider scolded.

"Only time will tell, warrior. Time will tell"

**IT WAS OFFICIAL**. These women favored speaking with those pretty frustrating little sentences. And each and every one of them left you with a strange feeling. It was something in between the sour taste of unfulfilled, unsatisfied and the ticklish sensation of intrigue.

They knew nothing about where these women had come from, not what they wanted. The both of them were cryptic, careful with their words and actions alike. And, seriously, what's with that tight face? It couldn't harm to show some emotion, now, could it?

Yet, he had caught himself staring at one of them open-mouthed; so not-Torin-like.

Sybilla. He tried the name on his tongue and found it tasted pretty much like each word that left her lush mouth did: of the wild essence of abandon. And like everything else in Torin's life, it was immediately followed by the bitterness of what he could never hope to have.

She had done her job, and done it pretty successfully he might add. If it was meant to keep his mind from focusing on the security, that was. That flat voice, that empty expression and the –surely- slender body hidden behind the mass of silk of the gown she wore… Gods… Just… Gods.

He shook his head in an attempt to focus on the monitors and coming back to reality he noticed that everyone was in the entertainment room: Kaia and Leilah were into some drinks and gossiping about things Torin itched to hear but was pretty sure wouldn't wish to. At the same time, Strider and- wait, had Sybilla challenged Strider in a game of pool? Looked like it. And from the look on his face she was winning. Looks like Defeat was going to take this one personally.

Uhm.. maybe not everyone, after all. Where was Cameo? There she was. In the kitchen. With a nearly empty bottle of wine. Alone. Drinking.

**Seated on one of the bar-stools** in the kitchen Cameo poured down the third glass of ambrosia-tainted red wine. Paris had always favored to mix the stuff and they still had maybe a couple of bottles more. She needed to think and needed for Misery to shut the fuck up, right here, right now.

"Cam, Jewel?" his voice echoed in the room. Torin's voice springing from out of nowhere wasn't a surprise, so normally she wouldn't have bothered to glance around the room. The startling fact was that his unique scent followed. His voice hadn't come from one of the many speakers that resided in every corner of the fortress.

As she turned around towards the door, sure enough, there he was; leaning against the door-frame with his muscled arms crossed over his massive chest. Banging the glass she had been holding on the counter she gave the stool a push and wheeled around to meet his gaze fully. "What?"

"You tell me" he pondered out raising a black eyebrow.

Cameo sighed and rested her forearms against the counter, making her chest push a little forward. She knew there was no way out of this. She measured her options. She was either gonna have to lie and hope that he believed her or tell him the truth. Granted how smart he was and how well he knew her, the past one was probably her only option right then.

"I don't like them. I mean… sure, the others are thrilled, especially with Sybilla –and no, don't you dare protest. I saw you staring at her. But… I dunno… there's something about them, and I'm gonna find out. I swear it to you, Torin. I'm going to find out one of these days."

He nodded stiffly, emerald gaze locked on the floor but not really focusing. He uncrossed his arms and ran a gloved hand through his white hair. "I… Yeah, I mean… I guess- fuck, I have my way with words, don't I?" he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Don't even try" She sat back down on the stool turning away from him. Could she really be mad at him for looking at another woman? No. Was she? Well, maybe… fuck it, she was. Was she going to do anything about it? About him? No. About the grassy-haired female? Definitely. After all, it wasn't only the fact that she was jealous. This was about security.

At least that was what she was going to tell herself.

"**Report" she woman **ordered in a low and steady tone that left no room for doubt or question over her words.

"There is still no news about them, my Lady" the female warrior said while bowing in front of her Mistress. Dressed in her fighting gear, a black dress with deep slits over the thighs and weapons strapped around both her thighs and waist, she was no more than an instrument to be used for purpose.

"That so displeases me" the leader commented, tapping her fingertips against the mahogany desk and as the warrior's panic flooded her senses she made sure to pin her with an icy gaze.

"My Mistress, we won't disappoint you evermore" she managed out in masked tremble.

"I want my best trackers to go after them" she then turned towards the direction of the door. "Tariq!" she yelled and immediately a massive figure stepped inside the room. His shoulders were wide; his muscles well defined, blond hair ruffled on top of his head and pupil-less eyes the richest black.

Seeing him in this form still startled her. She had grown accustomed to his hull and horns, and more so since she had been the one to give them to him.

Yet, he now seemed like no longer the creature she had created of her own blood in the darkest depths of Hell. "Yes, my Lady" he said, always ready for her every command, as he brought his fist over his heart and bowed his head.

"Get me Tristan and Eamen."

"**Poor little Defeat"** Sybilla cooed while throwing her body dangerously close to his, using the pool stick as a lavage. Seeing this terrified stare he threw at the pool table she laughed out-loud, long and deep. It was only natural that he looked like that, as there was only one ball left on the table.

And it was her turn.

Twirling around swiftly, so that her green hair floated in the air and several locks hit his chest, she bent over the table, making sure to shoot him with a smug smirk. Gods, if she enjoyed torturing him any further she was going to explode into a million tiny pieces. SO much fun should be illegal!

To win, or not to win, though?

She bent and positioned her stake, ready to strike. With one last glance towards Strider, batting her eyelashes at him she struck and-

Holy shit…

Sweet Lady, mother of all that mystical and dark…

Everything went on in slow motion:

Her hand slipped, the stake hit the ball… the ball went flying off the table… over the couch… to land at the feet of the man that had just entered the room.

He bent down to take it one black-gloved hand and as he straightened and walked up to them his emerald eyes glowed. Standing before her, his clad-in-black from neck to tow form had her immobilized, and that should say something.

She noticed his lips moving, but she didn't register a sound and he seemed to realize it as he arched a black brow at her. She realized then that she had been staring at him like he was some kind of a candy.

Slamming her jaw shut –had she been open-mouthed all that time?- she blinked, opened her mouth to speak but the damned thing wouldn't work properly –whoa there… another first. She coughed and accepted the ball. As her mind started registering sounds again, she took in Strider throwing a feast beside her.

She turned around hastily to glare at him and made sure her nails had turned to black claws as she tapped them against the pool-table. "Fine, you annoying piece of shit" she mumbled. "I let you win, anyway" she informed him, smiling sweetly at him "thought you'd want to know".

Turning back around at the new addition for the night, she flipped her hair backwards, walked towards the bar to serve herself a drink and noticed his gaze was locked on her.

There was something unholy about those emerald orbs and… damn, if that didn't turn her on.


	4. Chapter 4

**It seems like it's taken me ages to update. Finally, I got my ass up and typed chapter 4. And what do you know, I had already written it *nervous laugh* in that 'History Class Notebook' that the only thing missing through the pages is actually History. Ugh, I'm outta here. **

**This is somewhat of a small chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to cut it anywhere else, so… here it is. **

**Also, since this story is basically a crossover between my book and the Lords, check out "Mistress of the Dark" by SpadesDame on FictionPress. **

"**COMMAND US, MISTRESS"** Tristan said while he and Eamen kneeled before her throne. He was always the one to do the formal addressing. Eamen tended to be too potent and often touched –if not crossed- the line of disrespect.

Aishling turned her ice-white gaze on them and her glory was breathtaking as always, he had to confess. The lace and silk materials of her dress were sprawled over the stairs that her throne stood upon and her fiery hair hung below the arms of the chair, licking the marble. It wasn't only her appearance that made one want to stare at her for hours. This female could destroy one without lifting her pinkie. Hell, she could destroy millions without doing so.

"Leave us" she commanded, her strong, deep voice echoing in the room. She wasn't addressing them, though. The command was meant for the warriors of the Elite Guard. "You, Tariq, stay"

"Yes, my Lady" the leader of the group replied. He was standing beside her throne as he always did during formal meetings, armed up to the core, despite the fact that he was still in human form. And he would remain thus until the next battle.

Once the women cleared the room one by one, bowing to Aishling each and every one of them, they were free to talk. Eamen exhaled forcefully and got up on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest and began to pace. Tristan got on his feet too, though with less drama. Aishling got up soundlessly and went to pour herself a glass of red wine.

"When do we leave?" Eamen spoke up impatiently. Tristan was ready to glare at him but decided against it. There was no one here to witness the disrespect anyway. And it was the reason she had shooed the other warriors.

"Soon enough" she answered. "It's true that without Sybilla here you've got a lot of more work to do." Uh, yes. Sybilla the Prophetess almost always knew where to send them. With her visions and heightened senses they were unmistakable.

"Who it missing?" Well, now, Tristan knew, but he had better make sure, just in case.

"Leilah the Demon Tamer and Sybilla the Prophetess" Tariq confirmed.

"Hell's teeth. Sybilla was with us yesterday night!" Eamen cursed. "They couldn't have left together" he noted.

"No, but they sure as hell have met up later on" Aishling told them.

"Do we kill them?" Eamen asked. That was always the case with traitors, and their greatest fear right now. They would have to do their duty and well, Sybilla was their friend.

"No. You bring them back to me alive. They are both too precious to die. We need them" and that wicked, unstable female with that frustrating green hair probably knew it very well.

Sybilla wasn't known to quit easily. She was going to give a hell of a fight if they were gonna get them.

"This is not going to be easy" Tristan mumble before he had the chance to stop himself.

"I know. Sybilla is one of my best" Aishling said with pride visible in her voice. That was sometimes the case. You had to take chances with strong warriors, always knowing they could one day turn against you.

But Sybilla hadn't, in fact, turned against Aishling. She just tended to do whatever got in her stubborn mind. When she wanted to do something, she would, no matter what.

**TORIN FOCUSED ON HIS DRINK**, or at least pretended to, 'Cause he was staring, and staring openly. Fuck, as much as he tried, he couldn't help it.

And Cameo had her stare focused on him. Well, at least half of it. He knew she would be trying to decode each and every movement of their 'quests'.

Right now, she was into a game of pool with Sybilla. Looked like the green haired woman had played with about everybody that night. No, not everyone. She had yet to challenge _him_.

Gods help him, she was magnificent, despite the fact that she confused the shit outta him. Maybe that was the catch. He liked the puzzle. He was intrigued by her.

Abruptly, she lifted her eyes, golden and snake-like and locked her gaze on him. She was leaning over the pool table, ready to take a shot and her cleavage was showing over the neckline of her black dress.

Not that he noticed…

She wiggled a little, repositioning herself and- holy hell, the black lace of her bra was popped up. He gulped, hard.

Speaking of hard…

She smiled mischievously at him and winked. He coughed and looked away as Cameo banged her stick against the leg of the table to get their attention.

Gods, now he felt bad. Even though typically he and Cameo had never bothered with making their somewhat-of-a-relationship official in any way, he couldn't help feeling like there was something like an unspoken agreement between them.

It wasn't like he was betraying her on any level, right? After all, Sybilla had been the one to-

Ugh! Who on earth was he kidding?

He was standing there, ogling at a mischievous, utterly insane and undeniably hot as hell female, sporting a major hard on and he was trying to find excuses?

Man up, you ass!

The smug laughter that came from Disease had him gripping the glass he had been holding in a death-grip. He didn't realize it, though, until it had been shattered to tiny little pieces. He rushed to clean up the mess before the others noticed. Surely, the gloves hadn't been-

He exhaled in relief. They were intact. Last thing anyone in here needed was that infected, black blood of his escaping from his veins.

"Hello, stranger." He jumped at the sound of that sultry voice behind him. "Easy there, big boy." She laughed. Not the hysterical, utterly out of sane laughter, but a warmer, throatier one.

He cleared his throat, hoping the mess going on south wouldn't show in his voice. "Why, hello to you, too." Find something smart, you fucker! Great. Now he was speaking to himself. While staring at her like an idiot.

But of course, the bulge in his pants wasn't easy to ignore, right? Her eyes momentarily darted down there and he felt heat rushing, hoping it wouldn't reach his cheeks. That damned turtle neck was suddenly choking him. Fuck him and his inexperience. Surely, he just had to be all that dedicated, back then, huh? Pre-possession. Pre-Disease. Pre- all his fucked up shit.

Touch her! Disease growled, jumping up and down in his head. Shit up, you fucker. Torin growled at the Demon.

"I don't suppose this was meant for me, huh?"

Shit, had he talked out loud?

"No, no, no." he rushed out.

At the sound of her wicked laughter, he prayed he wouldn't make even more of a fool out of himself by blushing full on.

"**SYBILLA? SISTER MINE**, are you alright?" Leilah asked while at the breakfast table. The female had gotten up early to prepare something for their 'ever so generous hosts'. Sybilla grumbled her response that was meant to sound like "Don't concern yourself with me, sister." But came out more like a snake hiss. "Oh, sister mine, you haven't really left the Temple for long, have you?" Leilah noted with concern.

"Yes I have!" Sybilla protested. Or at least, tried to. It came out as another hill. She willed her tongue back in normal shape, repeated her words, but it was of no use.

"Sybilla…" Leilah scolded her, tsking and shaking her head. Sybilla didn't like that. She just couldn't stand being pampered. She hot up and hastily left the room, running back up to the bedroom she had been given. She just didn't want to see anyone. Until she had her condition under control, at least. Going back to the Realm, for once, wasn't an option either. She knew Aishling a little too-well.

By now she would be searching for them with all of her forces. Leilah was precious to her and she couldn't fall to the hands of the enemy or anybody else. Sybilla _knew_, and Aishling probably knew she did. What Lady Aishling probably couldn't be quite sure about would be about _how much _she knew.

But the great Prophetess Sybilla was, her visions had helped her through until now, and would keep doing so, no matter what happened.

**LEILAH WAS FRIGHTENED**, even if she refused to let it show. She wasn't just worried about the female, but utterly terrified. About both what could happen to Sybilla and what she could do to everybody else once the darkness took over her.

Not that she wasn't capable of _things_ without the darkness exploding… The Great Prophetess held power that could probably compare to that of their Mistress.

Leilah had never witnessed the female operating on full power but the rumors spread like the plague. The stories were many, each one different and worse than the other. All of them, though, of the same singe occasion.

Footfalls of someone entering the kitchen snapped her out of her thoughts and back to her cooking. With the corner of her eyes she registered a dark-haired woman entering the room. She, too, wore a grim expression on her face, but strangely enough it didn't take from her beauty: didn't lessen it one single bit.

"Good morning, Cameo," she greeted her but got but a grumble of a response. The second one for the day. Perfect.

And if just the day couldn't get any better…

* * *

><p><em><strong>06-06-2012: I want to thank all of you who have read my story so far, and even more those who took time to review, but due to the exams I won't be able to update soon, and sadly maybe not even when they're over. <strong>_

_**When I started writing this, the characters (Sybilla, Aishling, Leilah, Eamen, Tariq, Tristan) were taken from my book, Mistress of the Dark. I had to alter some things, to others less (Aishling DOES appear cold and Eamen and Tristan ARE complete opposites) and to others more, like Leilah (This Leilah has nothing to do with the Priestess of the Realm of Nyx). But while writing the book I got carried away and could no longer concentrate to write this one. Apparently, I'm a huge sucker for Torin-Cameo but apart from that while writing I started to feel that connection between Eamen and Sybilla which not even they don't understand fully yet. So, it was more and more difficult to write about a connection between Torin and Sybilla, since both of them have something so strong with somebody else. **_

_**[Now, if my bestie reads this, be sure I'm not gonna live to write another chapter to either one of the stories. *whispers and looks around* She doesn't like Cam for Torin... *sighs* But I guess that's good for her... ]**_

_**I hope you will understand, 'cause I know I hate it too when stories end abruptly. Sometime during the summer I plan on writing a couple extra long chapters, which would be set a while later after this one, both because they are stuck in my head and couldn't do otherwise and because I hate to leave it like this. **_

_**If you are interested in the actual book which the characters are from, check out Mistress of the Dark by SpadesDame on FictionPress. It's the first book, and it's about Aishling and Tariq. Sybilla always plays a big part, since she's a key-character and Eamen could be nowhere but beside her. **_

_**Love,**_

_**Anna**_


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